AMD and HSA

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​A new era in computing starts now​​​

With the introduction of our latest generation of APUs, the hardware ecosystem is now in place to support what we’ve been claiming all along: there’s more to compute performance than the CPU. For years, the focus has been on the CPU. Meanwhile, software workloads have skyrocketed to demand more performance on compute-intensive tasks that can overload even the fastest CPU burning at full power. Software developers are now taking advantage of a powerful processing component that has been sitting on the sidelines, woefully underused – your graphics processor. That'​s right: the GPU.​​​​​

Image2

ContentMain3

Harnessing the genius of the GPU

You thought the GPU was just for processing graphics? Think again. The GPU possesses extraordinary talents beyond great gaming performance. In fact, it can accomplish parallel compute-intensive processing tasks far more efficiently than the CPU​. The key to it all is Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA). HSA seamlessly combines the specialized capabilities of the CPU, GPU and various other processing elements onto a single chip – the APU. By harnessing the untapped potential of the GPU, HSA promises to not only boost performance – but deliver new levels of performance (and performance-per-watt) that will fundamentally transform the way we interact with our devices.

Your APU with HSA = A team of specialists

So what is HSA, exactly? You can think of HSA as a team with different players lending their unique talents to form one powerful unit. The CPU leads the system through everyday tasks. The GPU can zoom its way through tasks that are particularly data-intensive. Other components work together with the CPU and GPU in various, specialized processing tasks. With each member of the team performing a task that is especially suited to it, the efficiencies are designed to give you an enormous boost in performance.​

Unlocking 800+ GFLOPS of power

Just how big of a performance increase are we talking about? Meet the new AMD A10-7850K APU – the first APU with HSA features. The CPU and GPU work in perfect harmony to unleash 800+ GigaFLOPs of additional computing capacity. That's multiple times more processing power at your service, to help speed up your applications and empower you to play demanding game titles with minimal amounts of lag. And the upcoming “Carrizo” APU takes HSA support even further, with design features to make it fully compliant with the HSA 1.0 specification.​

A sleeker, faster future

This is only the beginning of an extraordinary transformation in computing. The release of the HSA 1.0 specification by the
HSA​​ Foundation (AMD is a founding member of the Foundation) represents a significant milestone toward making it easier to access the full processing capability of the APU. As we work to unleash the full potential of HSA, we expect to see astounding leaps in performance ​that will enable fantastic new features and functionality – from flawless HD video ​with heretofore unimaginable display clarity to new, more intuitive ways of interacting with your devices. The APU will blaze through tasks, enabling accelerated application, video and multimedia performance – all in smaller and smaller devices with longer and longer battery life.